Apparatus for controlling industrial processes



-N v 7, 4. R. STRICKLEN Em. .1 .166

APPARATUS FOR CONTROLLING INDUSTRIAL PROCESSES Filed Aug. 15, 1936 7'0 7.61 Source Vulcan) "11 Press 3 'g JaHN R. r1210 1: zv E/135.4121: 3.172012 5 TORNEY Patented Nov. 7, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

APPARATUS FOR CONTROLLING INDUS- TRIAL PROCESSES John R. Stricklen, Akron, Ohio, and Edward B.

Foote, Rochester, N. Y., assignors to Taylor" Instrument Companies, Rochester, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application August 15, 1936, Serial No. 96,190

the beginning of the operation and for opening the-press for the removal of the processed tire at the termination of a predetermined holding period, as is fully disclosed in the patent to Stricklen et al. No. 1,887,251, granted November 8, 1932. Since the holding periods in different processes vary within comparatively widelimits,

the timing device must be easily adjustable to lengthen or shorten this period, as desired. In the past, this result has been effected by providing a separate controlling cam for each diiferent 29 holding period or by providing a cam having an adjustable sector whereby various holding periods of different duration may be measured by the use of a composite cam. It has also been proposed to employ a reversible motor in the timing deg5 vice in com'uhction with a complicated control mechanism including a follower acting alternately on two cams which motor, on reversal, resets the device to its initial position at the termination of the holding period. The use of 'in- 30 dividually-cut cams for each holding period has been a source'of annoyance to the'user, in that a plurality of cams must be available and whenever the holding period was changed, a different cam corresponding to the desired holding period 35 must be substituted. The adjustable cam is expensive to manufacture and awkward to adjust. In accordance with the main feature of the present invention a novel arrangement is provided in which a simple clock-actuated cam, hav-- ing a contour corresponding to the maximum holding period desired, is employed in combina tion with a motor which quickly rotates the cam to a position to subtract or render ineffective any predetermined portion of the' maximum holding 45 interval represented by the contour of the cam.

In the drawing, Fig. 1 is a front view of the timing device of the present invention together with a diagrammatic showing of a portion of a system in which 50 it is incorporated; Fig. 2 is across section taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional showing of the three-way valve suitable for use in the system.

Referring especially to Fig. 1, 5 designates the 55 case of a timing device, the rear wall of which may be considered. as the support for the mechanism contained therein. Within the case there is mounted a synchronous electric motor 6 which operates through a speed reducing train of gears I, 8, 9', Ill, H and i2 to rotate the arbor l3. This 6 arbor carries a timing cam which is circular 'except for the notched portion Ma. A portion of this cam is illustrated as broken away to simplify the disclosure. The notch Ma is made with a double step which permits certain operations con- 1i).

trolled by the cam to be effected before others on the conclusion of the cycle. For example, in a vulcanizer it may be desirable to deflate a tube or the like before the press is actually opened. A double step in the notch Ma enables the con- 15 trolling valves 41, 48 and the switch 53 to operate out of step. It should be mentioned at this point that the gear I2 drives the arbor i3 through the following friction clutch arrangement. The gear I2 is mounted to rotate on the arbor i3 but one of its surfaces engages the fiber covered face of the collar l5, which is attached to the arbor and its other surface is frictionally engaged by the fiber-covered face of a second 001- lar It also secured to the arbor. By this construction the gear l2 frictionally drives the arbor, but when the arbor i3 is driven by other means to be described, the gear I2 maintains its normal speed of rotation independently thereof.

The collar 16 has rotatably mounted thereon a gear H which carries a pawl l8 adapted to engage the single tooth or notch |9 in the collar l5. Thus when the gear I! is rotated in a counterclockwise direction, the pawl I8 engages the notch I! to rotate the arbor and. timing cam Hi is provided with longitudinally extending slots 24 to receive supporting guide screws 25 which cooperate with the slots to limit the rack bar 23 'to a lengthwise motion. A pneumatic motor M mounted on the frame, drivesthis rack bar. This motor includes a cylinder 26 having provided therein a piston 21. The piston is carried at one end of a piston rod 28, the other end of which is connected by a bracket 29 to one end of the rack bar. It will be understood that the piston rod 'extends through a suitable stuffing box 30 in one end of the cylinder to prevent the pressure fluid from escaping at this point; This piston is moved to the right or to the left by pressure fluid respectively supplied through the conduits 3| and 32. A rod 33 having a suitably threaded portion 34 is secured to the case in parallel relation to the rack bar 23, which threaded portion carries an adjustable stop in the form ofja nut 35 provided with a disc-like index 35 positioned to engage and limit the motion of the bracket 29 when it is moved toward'the right. This index cooperates with a scale 31 which is suitably graduated in units of time to assist the operator in adjusting the nut to limit the rotation of thetiming cam M by the pneumatic motor, to a predetermined interval. "It will be appreciated that if the adjusting nut and index 36 are moved toward the right the holding period is shortened, while if they are moved toward the left the period is lengthened.

0 The periphery of the cam ,|4 is engaged by a finger 38 mounted on a follower arm 39 of a bell crank lever which s pivotally mounted at 49. This lever is also provided with a short arm 4| which engages a plate 42 carried on a frame lower member 45. This frame is normally mamtained in a given position by the leaf springs 46a, 46b and 46c which are of' thesame length so that all points of the frame have straightJine 43 having a short upper member 44 and a long motion in a vertical direction, thereby constituting a convenient type of parallel motion support for the frame. On the rear wall of the case there are mounted relay valve blocks 41, 48 and- 49 which control the application of compressed .35- air or other pressure fluid to-various devices. The

' valve blocks 41 and 48 have their valve stems 41a and48a extending downwardly to engage the adjustable tappets 50 and 5| which are carried on the long member 45 of the frame, while the valve block 49 has its valve stem 49a extending uD-' wardly to engage the short member 44 of the frame. There is also mounted in line with the valve blocks an electrical switch 53 which has its actuating button 54 positioned to be engaged by the adjustable tappet 55 on the long member 45 of the frame. This switch may be made of the type disclosed in the patent to Leupold No. 1,780,758, is designed to its contacts normally open except when the button 54 is dc I pressed. v

A pressure fluid supply conduit 55 supplies pressure fluid such as compressed air, to the inlet of the relay valves 41, 48 and 49. The valve 4'I discharges into the conduit 51 communicating with the motor top ofjthe three-way diaphragm valve 431: in the.pressur e fluid supply conduit 59 leading to a machine 89 to be controlled, which portion is actuated at the beginning of the cycle pf the machine. The outlet of the valve discharges into'conduit 6| communicatingwith the motor top of the three-way diaphragm valve 461:

' phich likewise controls the flow of pressure fluid ithrough the conduit 83 to another portion of 'the machine, also operatedat the beginning of the mentioned cycle. 'At, the conclusion of the 1 timing cycle, the relay valve49 discharges 'into the conduit "communicating with the motor top ofgthediaphragm galvejlla. This diaphragm 1, processes, it is valve permits the floiv ofirompfessed air through the conduit II. to another portion of the machine. It willbe noted that the conduit 32 communicates with the conduit 'l l.

While the device Offthe present invention is applicable to the control of'various machines and particularly adapted to governing the timed sequence of the operations of a vulcanizing press, such as is disclosed in the mentioned Stricklen and Fraine patent. phragm valves 43a and 46a may correspond to the diaphragm valves 43 and 46 of that patent in which the valve 43 effects the registration of the two halves of the mold and operates the breech lock of the press, while the diaphragm thence to the motor 6, conductor 68 to the other side of the alternating current source. The motor 6 then rotates and in so doing drives the train of gears I, 8, 9, II], II 'and gear l2, which frictionally rotates the arbor l3 and the cam 14 carried thereby, in a counterclockwise direction. As the finger 38 engages the rise portion of. the cam l4, it swings the follower arm outward and The diain so doing elevates the short arm 4|.. This arm elevates the frame 43- and the long member 45 thereof engages the button 54 of the switch 53 causing it to close its contacts. When this takes place, the operator may release the push button switch and the motor will continue to rotate as long as the switch 53 is held closed by the long member. Also when the long member of the frame is elevated, it raises the valve stems 41a and 48a to open the valves 41 and 48. Pressure fluid is then supplied through the conduit 56 and these valves respectively, to the conduit 51 leading to the top of valve 43a and conduit 5| I communicating with the top of the valve 46a. In

response to the application of pressure fluid to the top of the valve 43a, this valve opens, and

pressurevfluid is supplied to'the machine 60 through the supply conduit 59. Also when the. valve 49a is opened, pressure fluid is supplied through the conduit 64 to another portion of the machine 60, and pressure fluid is also supplied from conduit 64 through'conduit 3| to the left end of-the motor M.

The application of this pressure fluid through conduit 3|, forces the piston 21 and its piston rod 28 toward the right carrying with it the rack bar 23. This movement of the piston and the rack bar continues until the arm 29 engages the stop 36 on the adjusting nut 35. As the rack bar 23 moves toward the right, it engages; the pinion 22 which rotates the gear 20 attached thereto.

This gear, in turn, drives the gear l'l sothat,

pawl .|8, carried on the gear l 'l, engages the notch IS in the collar l6 secured tQflIe arbor I3 ried thereby a sufllcient distance to rapidly subtract a predetermined time interval from'the. maximum interval, as measured by the circular and drives the arbor and the timing cam |4 cartiming cam thereby leaving the desired holding period. Itwill be understood that while the rack-bar 23 is operating through the mentioned gears to drive the arbor, the fiber faces on "the collars l5 and I6 slideon the face of the gear l2.

- In other wordsihe camis operated at this time independently of the electrical-motor 8. However, when j the pneumatic motor to opcrate, the electric motor. 5 operating :thiough the mentioned train of gears resumes the rotation of the timing cam to measure the timing interval which is terminated when the ilnger 38 on the iollowerarm 39 drops into the notch a in the 'cam I4,

When the finger 38 on the follower arm 39 thus drops into the notch Ila, the frame 43 is permitted to lower itself under theacti'on of gravity ber of this frame depresses the valve stem 49a to open the valve 49. Compressed air is then permitted to pass from the supply conduit 56,

valve 49, conduit III to the motor top of the diaphragm valve 2011. This diaphragm valve then opens and compressed air is supplied through the conduit II to the machine 602- When compressed air is supplied to the'conduit II, it also passes through the conduit 32 to the righthand end of the pneumatic motor M. This compressed air then moves the piston'to the position illustrated in Fig. 1.' As the piston is restored to its normal position, it also moves the bracket 29 and the rack bar 25toward the left into the position shown. The rack bar- 25 during this movement drives the pinion 22 and through gear 20 rotates the gear I! in a clockwise direction. The pawl I! carried on this gear does not engage the notch I! at thistime so that the timing cam is not rotated thereby. While this is taking place,

the fiber-covered face slides on the surface of gear 22 without eilecting anycounterclockwise movement thereof. V We claim: Y

1. Inapparatusof the character described, the combinaticn'with a timing cam and mechanism -to be controlled therebyin accordance with a desired timing cycle, means 'for driving the cam to a predetermined interval, said mechanism inf cluding means controlling the actuation of said I the duration of the cycle can be reduced to a predetermined interval, said mechanism including means controlling the actuation of said motor in one direction iforv driving said cam and othermeans for actuating 8 d motor in the reversedirecflontoaMrmalpcsitida. amapparstusoithecharacterdescribedthe combination with a timing cam and mechanism including valves to be controlled thereby in accordance with a desired timing interval. means for driving the cam through a given timing cycle at a given rate, means including a reversible mo- ,tor for independently driving said cam .in one direction at a faster rate through a portion 01' the cycle whereby the duration of the timing cycle can be reduced to a predetermined interval, one

of said valves controlling the actuation of said motor inone direction for driving said cam and said other valve controlling the actuation of said motor in the reverse direction independently of said cam.

. 4. In apparatus of the character described, the combination with a timing cam and mechanism to be controlled thereby in accordance with a desired cycle, said mechanism including valves.

means including a motor and a friction clutch' for driving the cam through its timing cycle at .a given rate, a reciprocating motor includinga ton for rotating said cam at'a faster speed, means including one of said valves-for introducing pressure fluid into one end of said cylinder for operating the, piston in one direction, arid means including another of said valves for introducing pressure fluid into the other end of said motor for operating the piston in the opposite direction.

- '5. In apparatus of the character describ d. the

combination with a timing cam and mechanism to be controlled thereby in accordance with a.

desired cycle, said mechanism including valves,

means including a motor and a friction clutch for driving the cam through its timing cycle at a given rate, a reciprocating motor includinga cyl inder and a piston operating thereimarackbar operated by saidpiston, adjustable ineans for limiting the movement of the rack bar in one direction, means including gears operated from said rackrbarand a one-way driving connection for rotating said, cam at a faster speed, means including one of said values for introducing pressure fluid into one end of said cylinder for operating the piston in one direction, and meansineluding 'another of said valves for, introducing.

. pressure fliiid into the other endof said motor for moving the piston in the opposite direction.

, "6. In apparatus of the character described, the combination with a cam and mechanism to be controlled thereby in accordance with a desired timing cycle, means for driving the cam through its timing cycle at a given rate, movable means.

for driving-said cam at a faster rate-through a portion of its'cycle whereby the duration of: the

timing 'cycle can be reduced to a predetermined interval, and means including a stationary stop .in the path of travel or said movable means for terminating the movement thereof,

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